A complete software distribution and desktop management system for computer networks requires features such as automatic profiling of applications, effortless distribution of software, mass customization of computers on the network, and total support for a Windows 95 or NT based operating system. Present software distribution and desktop management systems only provide some of these features and only to a certain extent. Some of these present software distribution products are: Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS), Seagate's WinInstall, Symantec Norton Network Administrator Suite (NAS), McAfee Associates Saber LAN Workstation, Tangram AM/PM, and Novell Netware Navigator.
WinInstall provides a rigid framework for performing file distribution, allowing the user to perform only a limited set of tasks at predetermined times. The present invention provides a flexible, object-oriented framework, giving the user total control over what events will take place during a distribution, when they take place, and who they affect. The present invention's object-oriented design also results in an easily expandable, bug-free application.
WinInstall makes the user navigate through a series of confusing screens to perform different tasks. The present invention's main console screen allows the user to create jobs, schedule them, and view the results all from one main view.
WinInstall is designed to provide file distribution only. The present invention goes beyond file distribution and is designed to allow custom configuration of each workstation or group of workstations from the administrator's console.
Many Windows' applications make use of the same components such as ".dll" files. If application "A" installs component "X", application "B", installed after "A", will not copy "X" to the hard drive again. To solve this problem, the documentation for WinInstall recommends that the user profile an application using a "fresh" copy of Windows. WinInstall does nothing to enforce this requirement or to automatically satisfy it. By contrast, the present invention downgrades the Windows environment on the administrator's PC so that it is "fresh" before starting an application installation. Every single package is profiled perfectly, whether or not the administrator is aware of this crucial problem.
The present invention affords many options during a software distribution that WinInstall does not. For example, the present invention provides the capability to delete files, remove directories, create empty directories, perform search-and-replace on multiple files, and kick off executables at any time during an installation.
The present invention provides a graphical interface for viewing and modifying changes to the registry giving the administrator complete control over the registry, including the ability to delete keys and values. WinInstall does not.
The present invention provides a sophisticated graphical condition expression builder to allow distributions based on any combination of several criteria, including user name, group membership, hard disk size, free disk space, and environment variables. Moreover, the present invention has the ability to vary an installation at distribution time based on any of the above criteria. WinInstall and Symantec do not.
The present invention's condition expression builder can be applied to any individual component action of a distribution. This allows a network administrator to customize individual aspects of a particular application with ease. WinInstall and Symantec have no similar ability.
The present invention offers complete control of Windows configuration files, i.e., "ini files", including the ability to add or remove lines, or pieces of text within a line, to or from any section. WinInstall does not offer this flexibility.
The present invention provides the ability to call administrator-defined subroutines to perform common tasks, such as virus-checking or cleaning files from the hard drive, before, during, or after a software distribution. WinInstall and Symantec do not.
The present invention "Profiles" user applications for the administrator, creating all the instructions and commands necessary to distribute the software automatically. Symantec Norton Administrator Suite forces the user to create instructions and commands manually.
Symantec Norton Administrator Suite permits the user to schedule jobs based on user name, group membership and workstation. In contrast, the present invention permits the administrator, i.e., user, to schedule jobs based on many more criteria, including workstation characteristics, and how much free disk space will be left after an installation.
The present invention can automatically profile and distribute any Windows application. Microsoft SMS requires that the application have a special script file to guide the installation process.
Microsoft SMS can schedule any executable to run on a group of workstations. However, the present invention can not only schedule an executable, but also any action in its database to run at the workstation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a complete software distribution and desktop management system for a computer network environment. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a software distribution and desktop management system with full integration into a graphical user interface based operating system.